SFG Update - Summer 2023

InThisIssue:

MarkWhite—GrainManager

SaraNeiland—MiloOfficeManager

CharlesSmith—AgronomyManager

JasonJensen—AgronomySales

GregWiller—AgronomySales

MikeKing FeedSales

Grain Update

Mark White Grain Division Manager

Most of our area saw decent planting conditions this spring as most of the crops got planted in a timely manner. The weather played with us as we saw a great start in early April with warm and dry ground conditions. Then we went backwards temperature wise for about 10 days and many people were somewhat confused how to proceed. In the end it appears most of the stands are above average and the fields are evening out as the crop has rooted down. Now we need to put some thought and effort into what we will do with this year’s crop. Some of you still have old crops to market. Basis levels for old corn and beans are still better than normal at this time of year. However there has been a big inverse in board pricing ever since last fall. The spreads have been led by the nearby month in both corn and beans which is causing grief among the end users. Recently most of the interior terminals we deal with have rolled their corn bids to the September contract, and bean bids to the August contract. When doing so they kept about 14 cents of the basis. They may have to give some of this back if sellers get stubborn about selling. It will be the normal give and take of the game and the farmer will end up in the middle as always. New crop bids are

discouraging when you compare them to the prices, we have been receiving for the past 2 years. Weather will be the major driver in price discovery in the coming weeks. The USDA still predicts record yields for both corn and soybeans and in order to achieve this we need perfect weather throughout the corn belt and beyond. May was one of the driest Mays on record and though it is nice to plant into dry dirt, it cannot stay dry long term. In order to get these high national yields, the fringe areas need to produce an above average crop, and that doesn’t look likely at this time. World politics and fighting will continue to play a large role as we now deal with a global economy, what we do in America is important, but it is only a piece of the puzzle. Back on new crop pricing, we would all like to sell 6.00 plus corn again this fall. However, it looks like 5.25 might be a good place to start and ramp up sales if the price increases. Today 13.00 beans might be out of reach for fall pricing, but 12.00 is a possibility and would be a starting place. As always, we would be glad to visit with anyone about their grain marketing. We do not have all the answers, but we feel we know the right questions to ask and can assist you in making some decisions.

Tune in weekdays at noon to 96.7 KIIC for the latest market news, sponsored by Smith Fertilizer & Grain!

Employee Spotlight

Sara Neiland Milo Office Manager

When asked what I do, I might say a little bit of everything! From invoicing and loading feed, keeping the ever-changing joke board updated (suggestions always welcome) and the peanut bowl stocked, to billing agronomy services and managing customer grain, there's always something going on in small-town Milo. When asked why I enjoy it here, it really comes down to one main factor: The people. Between my coworkers and our customers, the people here make the difference!

Growing up, the last career field on my mind was agronomy, grain, and livestock. The closest I ever came to them was riding a horse a few times as a child and eating some sweet corn every summer! My life was lived in town with my focuses on playing softball and working for the Ankeny Parks and Recreation Department or at restaurants into my teen years. Even in college, I wanted to go into the world of marketing and/or fine arts doing graphic design or fiber installation and sculpture, believe it or not! Of which I do inherently find myself incorporating aspects of these fields here on a regular basis to exercise creativity and have a

little fun.

Nevertheless, one could say it was a leap of faith by both parties to pair myself with the newly acquired SFG Milo location! But time soon proved that business was growing and good things were happening with the help of all those involved at Milo. Everyone guiding it to become the welcoming and comfortable environment it is today. In truth, this faithful leap is one I will always be thankful for, and I more than ever enjoy learning more about the industry to better service our customers every day.

I really can't think of a better place to be than right here.

SFG Operations Update

Charles Smith Agronomy Operations Manager

Once again, spring has come and gone. Crops are in and we are spraying second-pass chemicals. In another week we should be through the postspraying. It won’t be long before we will be spraying fungicides. It looks like we are at least 2 to 3 weeks ahead of where we were last year.

For the most part all pre-emerge chemicals worked very well. They received just enough water to get activated. Now the crop is really starting to take off. Corn is at canopy for the most part and the

beans not too far behind.

We have been working on some remodeling projects at Milo and Pleasantville. The Milo office has had new windows and siding installed and new offices put in on the main floor. Jason Jensen now has an office that he can work out of. There has been flooring work done that should be finished up in the next couple of weeks. Next on the to-do list at Milo will be painting around the office and the elevator.

Pleasantville has new windows, siding, doors, and flooring installed. We will also do some painting around the location to spruce the place up. Other work planned at this location will be to repair and paint some of the outbuildings.

It will be a very productive summer across the company, and we look forward to the improvements!

AGRONOMY

ALLSTOCK

ANHYDROUS

BUCCANEER

CORN

CREEP FEED

FLYCONTROL

FUNGICIDE

GOLDEN GLO

POTASH

SOIL MOISTURE

SOYBEANS

SOYHULLS

SPRAYING

SUPERGROW

UREA

Northwest Agronomy Update

Jason Jensen Northwest District Agronomy

Sales

In my area, most crops went in the ground under fairly dry conditions. We started the growing season off with a cool spell but have made up for that as of late. We’ve seen many hot and humid days with small areas of pop-up showers. Most crops look extremely good for the weather that we’ve had. Current soil moisture ranges from very dry in the southern part to normal in most areas. As we look into the next few weeks, it is time to be planning for fungicide and foliar applications to optimize yields on our top acres. So far, on fields that have used a two-pass program, corn and soybean weed control looks to be good. Any chemical issues to date have been due to one-pass programs.

Corn that had an additional form of nitrogen applied along with NH3 is doing very well. It looks like applying Supergrow, 32% mixed with sprayed preseason chemical, or top/side-dressed urea really pays off in addition to fall or spring applied anhydrous.

Soybeans appear to have started their growth surge. Most fields look good at this point. So far I have not scouted any fields that have had any insect or disease pressure, but it’s still early. It’s

important to remember timely fungicide and pesticide applications to keep fields clean.

We have also been busy with several hay field applications of P/K and Micro Sync Pro. This seems to be adding a new life to many stands that are thick but stagnant in growth. This tells me that sulfur, boron, and zinc really do add to quality alfalfa fields. Many of these fields have experienced very good regrowth after adding micros to them. Contact your SFG agronomist to schedule fungicide applications on your corn and soybeans, as well as to discuss any foliar products that may be added to optimize yields on your farm.

Northeast Agronomy Update

Greg Willer

Northeast District Agronomy Sales

Besides needing some rain, the crop in my area looks pretty good. Corn has come out of its ugly duckling stage and beans are starting to grow. Second-pass chemical has been applied to most of the corn and beans are getting underway.

Before long we will be applying fungicide. In a dry year I often hear growers say they will pass on fungicide, thinking there’s no diseases to worry about. Take some time to discuss this with your

Southern Agronomy Update

Taylor Banks

Southern District Agronomy Sales

Planting is just about all wrapped up in my area. The drier weather we’ve been having has helped get most of the spraying done. There was some disappointment from missing the bulk of the

agronomist. We have response to fungicide scores for almost every hybrid and brand that you may have planted in your field. On your better acres where you placed a racier hybrid, you’ll likely get a good return on investment no matter what the weather.

Beans are a different story when it comes to fungicide. Fungicide on your beans at the R3 stage will give you a good return almost every time no matter what the ground is like. We consistently see 4-to-5-bushel yield increases, sometimes even 10+. We have also noticed that adding insecticide to the fungicide can increase the yield even more.

With the markets how they are, it will not take many bushels to get your money back and then some with fungicide. Take some time to discuss fungicide options for your corn and beans with your SFG Agronomist.

weekend rain however. In the lighter soils, we’re starting to see some stress in our corn and beans from the extended dry period we’ve been in.

Overall, stands on corn have been very good where I’ve been scouting. We’ve seen some issues on soybeans though, mainly related to the dry weather. There’s been some re-plant soybeans but most of those have been isolated issues.

Hay fields are being cut right now and we are working on getting fertilizer on them as they get harvested. Hopefully we can catch some rain soon and keep the crop looking good.

Feed Update

Mike King SFG Feed Sales

First off – the cattle markets. What is happening? The cow inventory keeps decreasing, and feeder cattle will be in short supply come fall. As I write this, spring cattle futures are at $1.85 and 600pound feeder calves are selling for $2.80.

Now’s the time to get your fall creep booked. Creep feeding your calves this year is a no-brainer. It takes only six pounds of creep to add a pound to the calf. Every pound of gain gets you an extra $2.80 on those calves, and the creep to do it only costs you $1.15.

We also need to be putting out fly control. Flies irritate your cows. If your cows are irritated, they don’t eat. If they don’t eat, you don’t make money. We have a wide range of fly control products, so you can choose what best fits your operation.

We have a new product called Mineral Max. This exciting new supplement is great for your cattle, and other livestock as well. It contains a wide variety of naturally-occurring organisms to help gut flora, along with essential fats and oils. This product reduces e-coli and coccidia by 90% and helps prevent scours.

A new product we’re trialing is SoyPlus. This highprotein, high-energy feed additive is loaded with amino acids. It improves feed efficiency and rate of gain. We’ve heard great things about it, and are excited to see what local producers think.

If you’d like more information on any of these products, give me a call at 641-218-4232. I would be glad to come visit you on your farm. We want to do more than just sell you products, so give us a chance and we’ll be glad to help.

Tune into SFG Top Performance, our weekly podcast with all the information you need to increase your profitability and success!

New episodes posted Monday mornings!

Click Here to view, or look us up on YouTube!

RUNNINFORFUN

Kyle Smith—SFG Business Manager

With four kids, things can get hectic in our family. Balancing our jobs with the kids’ school activities, dance, and gymnastics classes can make things interesting. But, Kristin and I both grew up heavily involved in sports, and we wanted to continue that journey as adults. Back in 2019 we discovered Spartan Races and have been addicted ever since. They vary in length from 5k to 50k, with up to 35+ obstacles throughout the race.

This year we were lucky enough to have Kristin’s Father, Rob Spaulding join us on our races. In March he joined us in Houston and finished first in his age group!

Our latest race was in early June, at Fort Carson Army Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado. On this trip, we were joined not only by Rob, but our children too! Kenzie (our youngest) completed the half-mile course, Carson and Mason both ran the twomile course, and Taleyah joined Rob, Kristin, and myself on the 10k course. I finished with a season-best 16th place in my age group, and Rob came home with another first-place finish in his! This was a very special event for our family with three generations competing together.

Jason Smith Centerville Location Manager

Some may find it hard to believe, but I do make a little time to do something else besides work. It was just back in 2016 that I started running and participating in organized events. I ran a few 5K’s and a few half-marathons, as well as a full marathon that year. This was a lot different than running around the location here at Centerville while I worked.

The next year I ran my first ‘mud run’ and I was hooked. These events challenged me in ways I can’t articulate. My greatest accomplishment was competing in a 50km event in the Colorado Rockies. I ended up finishing 5th in my age group. I’ve been very lucky in that my partner Andrea competes in these events as well. We motivate each other to be better that day than we were the day before.

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 40 Minutes

Total Time: 55 Minutes

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. Melt butter in a large pan over medium heat. Sprinkle flour and garlic powder over the melted butter, then whisk together and cook for 1-2 minutes to create a simple roux.

2 Tablespoons salted butter

4 teaspoons all-purpose flour

⅛ teaspoon garlic powder

¾ cup milk

6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated

4 ounces cream cheese, cubed

3 ¾ cups fresh or frozen corn (three 10ounce bags frozen whole kernel corn)

4 ounces diced ham steak or leftover ham

3. Whisk in the milk, then simmer, whisking constantly, until thickened and bubbly.

4. Add cheddar cheese and cream cheese, stirring until melted and combined into the sauce.

5. Stir in corn and diced ham. Transfer to a square baking dish or casserole dish. Cover with foil.

6. Bake for 40-45 minutes until hot and bubbly.